Karanka yesterday took one final look around the office that has been the hub of stats, ideas, gameplans and meticulous planning and preparation.

It was 3.30pm, around four and a half hours after his Boro departure had been made public and the manager had packed up his belongings at Rockliffe.

He’d packed up the sketch of himself which was on display, a present from some of his close friends for his 40th birthday. And the frame containing the teamsheet, programme and ticket from his first home win in charge. 1-0. Bolton. Grant Leadbitter. Penalty.

On his way out, Karanka thanked staff, including members of the backroom team who he brought to the club but who - as things stand - will remain in their roles and will assist Steve Agnew on Sunday. That situation could change in the days ahead.

He shook the hand of a fan who was waiting just a stone’s throw away from the Rockliffe hotel complex where, alongside Leo Percovich, he met Steve Gibson to discuss the vacancy back in November of 2013.

Aitor Karanka at his unveiling as Boro boss (Image: Peter Reimann)

And then he was off.

Consigned to the club’s history books. There, he will remain a prominent figure. For that aforementioned win percentage is the best of any Boro manager who has been in charge for more than one season. And Karanka was the man who finally led Boro from the dark, dismal days of the Championship to the light and hope of the Premier League.

There are many magical memories. But memories of yesteryear don’t always inspire results of today. Just ask Claudio Ranieri.

That Aitor Karanka followed the Italian as the next Premier League boss to leave his post came as no surprise. In the end, it felt inevitable. It was when, not if.

The most surprising aspect of the whole thing, perhaps, is the overriding feeling that - despite a woeful run of one win a 10, a run which didn’t look like coming to an end any time soon - it was more the manager’s behaviour than results which led to this outcome.

'The finger pointing continued'

At a time when the need for calm was pressing, the manager was unpredictable. It got to the stage where staff at Rockliffe didn’t know what to expect of the head coach from one day to the next.

At a time when the need for unity was pressing, Karanka appeared more than happy to point the finger at others without taking responsibility himself.

First it was the fault of the fans. Then he questioned recruitment. The feeling after that press conference - on the eve of deadline day - was that Karanka was a boss on the brink. “It sounded as though the Middlesbrough manager was cracking up,” said West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan.

Such was the bewilderment in the press at Karanka’s comments, the first question put to the manager in his next press conference was this: “You appear to be a manager who wants the sack...is that the case?”

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He insisted, of course, that was far from the truth. His behaviour and provocation told a different story.

And as performances worsened, the finger pointing continued. At Crystal Palace, it was the fault of the doctor following that late injury setback to George Friend. In the week in which a national newspaper had published an interview with the boss detailing that 80-page dossier, the excuse didn’t wash. And that led to a slight reshuffle behind the scenes.

But what was perhaps most worrying for Karanka was his inability to get a response from his players at Stoke the following week. For the first time, that was a performance which smacked of a manager who was struggling to get his message across.

His comments after that game spoke of a man who almost didn’t want to let himself accept the sorry situation his side were in, of a manager who had his head buried in the sand.

At last week’s press conference there was an acknowledgement that change was required. At a meeting between the manager and club chiefs at Rockliffe on Thursday morning, there was an acceptance that the required change was Karanka’s departure.

That came at the back end of a week in which the agenda - Stewart Downing and Patrick Bamford - was set by Karanka himself when he called into question the character of the pair following the defeat to Manchester City. Four days after stressing the need for unity, that was ill-advised.

'His preparation for games was excellent'

As was the decision by the Karanka camp to angle against Downing in public and make clear the differences between the pair early this week. When the message was the importance of everybody pulling in the same direction, that didn't go down well with club bosses or senior players.

Downing's omission in recent weeks hasn't come as a complete surprise given the well documented differences between the pair that have rumbled on for some time now.

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As for Bamford, well the whole scenario there was just bizarre. Karanka was known to be a big fan of the 23-year-old but within a fortnight of him signing the manager was understood to be telling associates that he didn’t believe the forward had a role to play this season.

To paint a picture of a dressing room in complete revolt would be unfair. Only last week Adam Clayton praised the then-manager and a string of players tapped out tweets of thanks yesterday.

For Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes there was a theme - thanks for showing trust. He trusted in them and he trusted in his own methods. Perhaps a bit too much at times. He spoke of the need to change last week but for Karanka that wasn't going to happen.

The test this season was how Aitor Karanka would handle the pressure. At the start of the season he told of his satisfaction at longer breaks between games and pitting himself against the best, yet ultimately when the ante was upped he again struggled to cope.

His behaviour and comments mirrored the build-up to the Charlton walk-out. It was one fall-out after another and the atmosphere around Rockliffe was glum and cheerless.

Something had to give. Boro were heading in one direction.

The last three months have been messy but the three years that came before were memorable.

After the Strachan shambles, Tony Mowbray helped a town fall in love again. And Aitor Karanka had Boro dreaming again.

Wembley. Promotion. Cup runs. Marquee signings. Sell-outs.

But it was time for a change.

The relationship had become strained beyond the point of return. There was an acceptance from both parties on that front.